Electric centering device for tire fabrics



G. F. FISHER. ELECTRIC CENTERING DEVICE FOR TIRE FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, IQIB. 1,332,979. Patented Mar. 9, 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- E i W T 0 :13 "i [mil G. F. FISHER.

ELECTRIC CENTERING DEVICE FOR TIRE FABRICS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1918- 7 Attest: Inveptor: 7 b Gear/ 177M,

Mam

bis Atty UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. FISHER, OE ROSELLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARTFORD RUBBER WORKS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC CENTERING DEVICE FOR TIRE FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed May 22, 1918. Serial No, 235,915.

vices for Tire Fabrics, of which the follow ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric centering devices for tire fabrics, and the object of the invention is to provide automatic means for maintaining the center line of the fabric, passing from a reel or drum, in line with thecentral peripheral line of a core or mandrel upon which the fabric is laid or wound in the building of a tire.

The strip of fabric wound upon the reel is continuous, although it is in practice generally made up of separate pieces spliced together, the strip or strips belng cut from a wider piece of fabric. The invention is more especially related to tire building machines in which the core or mandrel is powerdriven to pull off the fabric from the reel and wind it about its circumference. The fabric passes from the reel over a series of idlers or guide wheels and thence to the revolving core. When the fabric creeps toward one side or the other of the central peripheral line of the core. or, when a variation in the width of the strip occurs, the reel and guide rollers are moved endwise to maintain the center line of the fabric in its proper position with respect to the core.

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in' which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation of the. machine.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the wirmg.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation of cer tain members of the circuit closing mecha nism.

The present embodiment of the invention consists of three trains or series of mechanism, as follows: The fabric supporting and guiding means; the mechanism for laterally moving the fabric supporting and guiding means; and the electrically operated control for the last stated means. The embodiment also contemplates a power-driven core or mandrel upon which the fabric may be wound in the building of a tire.

The fabric supporting and guiding means consists of a slide-frame 1, mounted and for such purpose being formed with a gib 2 fitted within a channelway in the frame A and also formed with a channelway 3 which receives the vertically extendlng rib 4 of the said main frame A. To

slide-frame 1 are rigidly connected two parallel bracket arms 5 (one arm. being illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings), which are adapted to support between them for rotary movement a reel 6 for the fabric 7. The slide-frame 1 also is formed with sets of apertured bosses 8, 8*, the bosses 8 receiving the'shaft 9 of an idler roller 10, and the bosses 8 receiving the shaft 11 of an idler roller 12; and above the said bosses the frame 1 provides bearing supports for a shaft 13' about which revolves a tension drum 14 for the fabric, the latter leading from the reel 6 over idler 10, under idler 12, thence over the tension drum 14 and downwardly under an idler 15 to the core or mandrel 16, which may be comprehensively designated a rotary accumulator.

The means for laterally moving slide frame 1 comprises the parallel racks 17, 17 X connected to and projecting from the slideframe' 1 through horizontal rectangular slots .9 formed in frame A, said racks being engaged by pinions 18 on a vertical shaft 19, and the shaft being rotated as follows: At its lower end, the shaft 19, carries a bevel gear 20 (Fig. 1) in mesh with two gear wheels 21 and 22 on sleeves 21 and 22 loosely mounted upon a shaft 23, the

- for lateral movement upon a main frame A,

latter extending horizontally of the main frame 1 and supported within the bearing bosses 24 projecting laterally from the said frame. The shaft 23 is constantly driven through sprocket wheel 25, and chain 25 from the main drive shaft T. By means of the gear wheels 21, 22. shaft 19 may be rotated in opposite directions and the slide frame 1 shifted laterally in opposite direc-' tions through the racks 17. To this end, to shaft 23 is keyed one member 26 of a clutch of which the second and normally inactive member 27 is carried by sleeve 22*. The clutch member 26 is connected in a manner permitting rotation of the driving member 26 independent of the sleeve 28 which can not rotate to an operating sleeve 28, and 1t will.v be seen by reference to Fig. 1 thatwhen sleeve 28 is moved to the left, it will bring thetwo clutch members into engagement, thereby effecting the rotation of gear wheel 22, and shaft 19 to move pinion 18 in a direction to shift slide-frame 1 toward the right (Fig. 1). On the opposite side of the machine, sleeve 21 carries a normally idle clutch member 29 adapted to be engaged by a clutch member 30 keyed to shaft 23 and connected to an operatmg sleeve 31, so that movement of the sleeve 31 towardthe right will engage the clutch members and cause a rotation of shaft 19 in such direc-;

tion as to shift slide-frame 1 to the left.

The electric control for the slide-frame shifting means comprises the solenoids B and C, the core 9 of solenoid B being connected to a lever b fulcrumed at 0 upon an extension of boss 24 and having an arm at pivotally connected at e to link f which is in turn pivotally connected to sleeve 31.

The lever arm (I and link f form a toggle,

the arrangement being such that when solenoid B is energized to retract core 9, lever f will be rocked to straighten the toggle, whereby sleeve 31 will be forced to the right and the clutch members 29 and 30 brought into mutual engagement. The connections intermediate solen oid C and clutch member 26 are identical with those just described, the core of solenoid C being lettered h, its connecting lever z, the lever arm 76, and the toggle link m.

The electrical contacts which establish a circuit through solenoid B are numbered 32, 33 (Fig. 1) and the electrical contacts which establish a circuit through solenoid C are 32" and 34. The contacts 33, 34 are each one of two spring-yielding arms 2%, whereas the contacts 32, 32 are both carried by a positively moved swinging arm 35 pivotally mounted at 36 upon a standard 37 rising from a bracket 38 rigidly connected to the main 'frame A, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Thus, when contact arm 35 is moved to the left it will bring contact 32 and 34 together and solenoid C will be energized, a reverse movement of the arm 35 throwing solenoid B into the circuit. By reference to the wiring diagram, Fig. 3 it will be seen that a relay D, E, may be employed in the circuit with each solenoid when desired.

The contact arm operating means is, of course, actuated by the fabric as it passes from tension drum 14. To this end bracket 38 supports two sets of vertically projecting arms F, G, pivotally connected to the bracket by means of the stud-screws 39, the arms of each set being connected at the top thereof by one of two rods 40, 41. To the thus connected arms F is secured one end of a link 42, the opposite end of the link being pivotally-connected'at 43 with an equalizing arm 44 pivotally connected at 45 to contact arm 35. And the arms G are connected at 46 with a link 47 pivotally connected at 48 to the opposite end of the equalizing arm 44. A light spring 50 is disposed intermediate, andconnected to, the innermost of the arms comprising the sets F and G, so as to normally hold the sets in parallel relationship, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Connecting rod40 intermediate swinging arms F supports b1ock'51 for one edge of the fabric and rod 41 intermediate swinging arms G supports a guide block 52 for the opposite edge of the fabric, the guide blocks being adjustable toward and from each other upon the said connecting rods.

-The operation of the machine is as follows:

The blocks 51, 52 will be adjusted so as to come into contact with the edges of the fabric passing from drum 14 to the tire mandrel; and, so long as the center line of the fabric coincides with the central peripheral line of the mandrel, the linkages G and F have no effect upon the contact arm 35 which remains in a neutral position. That is to say whether the strip passing through the device be of uniform width or whether it decrease or increase in width there is no shifting of the contact arm 35 by the linkages F and G, as long as the strip maintains a symmetrical winding relation with the accumulator 16. But if the strip is bulged or recessed at either or both sides or whether it remains constant in width but tends to creep or shift so that in any case its edges in engagement with the feeler elements 51 and 52 are unequally spaced from the central plane of the rotating core or accumulator, the equalizing connections 47 and 42 will coiiperate to effeet through the pivot 45 a displacement of the contact arm 35 in one direction or another so as to energize one of the two solenoids B, C, which control the clutches governing rotation of the pinions 18 in the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, and consequently through the racks 17 and 17* effect a shift of the strip support in the proper direction to correct the departure of the strip from its non-central position with relation to the core or accumulator. The action of the control mechanism is effected through electrical connections that will now be described. By way of illustration and referring to the wiring diagram, Fig. 3, it will be seen that the engagement of contacts 32*, 34 will form a circuit through main wire 53, branch wire 54, branch wire 55, the relay E, and branch wire 55 to main wire 53*. The closing of the relay will throw into engagement the contacts 70, 71 and establish a circuit through solenoid C via main wire 53*. branch wire 72, branch wire 56, solenoid C, branch wire 57, and main wire 53. The

closing of the solenoid will rock lever-arm i to close togglek, m, and the clutch members 26, 27 will thus be brought into engagement. At this point, shaft 19 will be rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and rack 17 with slide-frame -1 will be moved to the right to restore'the alinement of the fabric with respect to the mandrel. It will also be seen from the wiring diagram that the engagement of contacts 32, 33 will form a circuit through main wire 53, branch wire 54, branch wire 58 and through relay D to branch wire 58' and main wire 53*. The closing of the relay will bring contacts 60, 61 into engagement whereupon a circuit will be established through solenoid B via main wire 53*,branch wires 59, 62, the solenoid windings, branch wire 63 and main wire 53. The closing of the solenoid B will straighten toggle d, f, and throw clutch members 29, 30 into engagement, whereupon shaft 19 Will be rotated in a direction reverse to the arrow, Fig. l, and rack 17 with slide-frame 1 will be moved to the left.

The action of the electrical control and. clutch mechanism therefor will be seen to control the fabric in its passage to the ac cumulator despite increase or decrease in its width and whether the change in width be equal or unequal on opposite sides of the center line of the strip. lid of course also the strip is controlled if, while remaining the same width, it shifts to one side or the other of the central plane rotating the core. In other words, the strip at all times may be wound upon the accumulator equally upon opposite sides of its central peripheral line.

The invention also comprises means whereby any change in the width of the fabric equal on both sides of the. central peripheral line of the mandrel will not disturb the position of the slide frame and fabric supporting members carried thereby. The said means comprises the equalizing arm 44 and its peculiar connections with the contact arm 35 and series of swinging arms F, G. It will be seen that the pivotal connection between the equalizing arm and contact arm 35 is equidistant to the pivotal connections between the equalizing arm and links 42, 47. Therefore when such change I in the width of the fabric occurs the equalizing arm is merely swung on pivot 45 without moving contact arm 35.

It will be understood that variouszchanges may be made in the form of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting element for a strip to be wound upon a mandrel, means for endelectric control for said shifting means ineluding movable members at each side of the strip for actuation by the latter, two contacts, a movable contact member for engagement with either contact, and connections intermediate the respective strip engaging members and the movable contact member whereby movement of either strip engaging member will be transmitted to said movabl contact member.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting element for a strip to be wound upon-a mandrel, means for end- Wise shifting the supporting element, an electric control for said shifting means including two contacts, a swinging contact arm intermediate the said contacts, a movable member at each side of the strip for actuation by the latter, anjequalizing arm pivoted upon the swinging contact arm, and links connected one to each strip engaging member and also to the equalizing arm at opposite sides of and equidistant to its pivotal connection with the contact arm.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting element for a strip to be wound upon a-mandrel, means for endwise shifting the supporting element, an electric control for said shifting means including a movable member at each side of the strip for actuation by the latter, two yielding contacts, a swinging contact arm intermediate said contacts, and link connections intermediate the strip engaging arms and swinging contact arm.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting element for a strip to be wound upon a mandrel, means for endwise shifting the supporting element in opposite directions comprising a rack carried y the supporting element, a shaft having a gear in mesh with said rack, and also a second gear, two clutch devices, each having a driving element connected with said second gear whereby the epgagement of one clutch will drive'the shaft in one direction and the engagement of the second clutch will drive the shaft in the opposite direction, and clutch control mechanism adapted to be thrown into and out of action by the strip in its passage to the mandrel.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting element for a strip to be wound upon a mandrel, means for endwise shifting the supporting element comprising a rack carried by the latter and a shaft having a rack driving element, two clutch devices operatively connected with said shaft and with a rotating element, whereby the engagement of one clutch will rotate the shaft in one direction and engagement of the second clutch will rotate the shaft in the opposite direction, and clutch engaging mechanism adapted to be controlled by the strip in its passage to the mandrel, whereby a shift of the center line of the strip in one direction will effect the engagement of one clutch device and a shift in the opposite direction will effect the engagement of the second clutch device.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting element for a strip to be wound upon a mandrel, means for endwise shifting the supporting element comprising a rack carried by the latter, a shaft having a driving element engaging said rack, two clutch devices, each having a drive element operatively connected with the shaft and each connected to a rotary element, whereby the engagement of the members of one clutch device will rotate the shaft in one direction and the engagement of the members of the second clutch device will rotate the shaft in the opposite direction, two solenoids each having connection for operating a clutch device, and circuit closing mechanism adapted to selectively connect the solenoids with a sourceof electrical supply, and comprising members actuated by the strip in its passage to the mandrel.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a rotary accumulator, a strip support, means for producing relative movement between the strip support and the accumulator, and means automatically urged together against opposite edges of the strip for controlling the first-mentioned means to effect the centralization of the strip relative to the accumulator while the strip is being wound and to accommodate different widths thereof.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination. a rotary accumulator, a driven shaft sustaining said accumulator, a strip support, mechanism for producing relative movement between said support and accumulator including reverse driving devices connected to said driving shaft, and

strip controlling mechanism for governing the operation of said reverse driving devices whereby a strip may be wound upon the accumulator equally upon opposite sides of its central peripheral line.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, 1n combination, a rotary accumulator, a strip support, mechanism for producing relative movement between said accumulator and strip support including an electrical control for said first mentioned mechanism, edge feeling elements yieldingly urged toward each other on opposite sides of the strip, and equalizing connections between said electrical control and'feeling elements for centralizing the advance of a strip relative to the accumulator as it is being wound thereupon.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a rotary accumulator, a strip support, mechanism for producing relative movement between said accumulator and strip support, and means for controlling the operation of said first-mentioned mechanism including clutches, toggle mechaism for operating said clutches, electrical devices for operating said toggles, and feeler elements for governing the operations of said electrical devices when the edges of the strip shift unequally to either side of a central plane transverse the axis of the rotary accumulator.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a rotary accumulator, a strip support, mechanism for producing relative movement between said accumulator and strip support, means for controlling the operation of said first mentioned mechanism including pairs of electric circuits having primary and secondary solenoids therein for coupling the shifting mechanism to power and for therethrough effecting relative displacement of the accumulator and strip support in either direction, strip feeler elements for gaging the departure of the edges of the strip from its desired path, and

a swinging contact member jointly operableby said strip feeler elements for making and breaking connections in either or both of said electric circuits, whereby inequalities of a strip being wound may be distributed equally on opposite sides of the accumulator.

Signed at New York, county and State of New York, this 21st day of May, 1918.

GEORGE F. FISHER. 

